QBE North America has tapped the services of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency to manage its small commercial insurance portfolio, which is composed of property and casualty insurance accounts for small businesses with premiums below US$100,000.
The partnership, which will be known as Arrowhead Core Commercial effective July 01, aims to create an industry-leading small commercial property and casualty insurance program that harnesses the strengths of both companies. It will be headquartered in Sun Prairie, WI.
To ensure consistency in underwriting approach, QBE underwriters and operations professionals, which are part of its small business portfolio, will become part of the Arrowhead team. Walter Grote, currently senior vice president for small commercial at QBE North America will join Arrowhead to lead Arrowhead Core Commercial.
Within the next year, QBE’s small commercial products will be transitioned to the Arrowhead policy platform on a state-by-state basis to allow a quicker and more efficient underwriting experience for agents and their clients.
Kathleen Zortman, president of property & casualty, QBE North America, commented: “As we evaluated how to take the business to the next level, we realized that tapping Arrowhead’s expertise and technology platform offered the quickest and most effective way we could provide our distribution partners with the greatest ease of doing business as well as innovative product improvements that deliver on our promise as an integrated specialist insurer. The initial feedback we have been getting from agents has been very positive.”
“This partnership is built on a successful 20-plus-year relationship we’ve had with QBE as their program administrator in other business segments,” added Chris Walker, CEO of Arrowhead. “QBE’s small commercial business will be the centerpiece of our offering, complementing our other products in the small commercial space.”
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